Queens Birthday Eve saw the boys from newly established Chameleon Recordings take the stage at Melbourne institution Revolver. Created with two friends who share his love of subterranean sounds, Chameleon is a record label that is perhaps best epitomized by its blend of cutting-edge art forms – music, design, photography and fashion – aimed squarely at an ever-discerning global market. Showcasing some of the hottest rising talent this side of the equator, the boys from Chameleon definitely brought the goods. That’s not to say that the night didn’t get off to a somewhat shaky start however. With the gig set to kick off at 1am, most punters arrived to face a choice between emo-goth-punk-metal in the front room, or tweaky-circus-electro in the back – what some might call a lose-lose situation (especially when the line for the bar is 10 deep). The first half an hour was wasted reading into each micro-facial movement of the bartenders, hoping that by sheer will I would somehow be able to psychically manifest some service and a cold beer.

But transition is always interesting to behold. By a quarter past one, the Revolver front room had been transformed from the dwelling place of guitars, roadies, suspicious haircuts and skull tattoos to a haven for those with a hankering for techno. The rock music in the background cut out and Trentemoller’s infamously eerie Always Something Better became the intro to a night full of promise. Things definitely kicked off with deep techno wunderkind Child, who took milliseconds to set the dance-floor alight. Debuting what seemed to be an inordinate amount of new material, Child launched into an hours worth of face-melting pulsing depth and jazz influenced harmonic highs. His musical performance was syncopated by some entertaining onstage antics that did well with the crowd. Everyone loves a showman. It was great to hear a different side to the Tribal Vision prodigy – a more dance floor oriented progressive twist while still staying true to his psychedelic and melodic roots.

Next up the dangerous duo, brothers Brent & Scott Miramz aka Continuum. The boys delivered a perfect example of their finely tuned live performance skills, turning out a mix of released and unreleased tracks. The Hunstman was a personal favorite, as was their recent remix of Antix’ Under the Shade; a track featuring on the New Zealand duo’s hit new album Cavalier and sure to get a lot of airplay in coming days. The brothers were followed by Steve Ward, who brought out his signature blend of Detroit techno with an always unique twist. Chameleon’s head honcho Ward kept the room packed until the early hours of the morning, showcasing some of his latest tunes from the debut release off Chameleon, the EP Window Between Us and Them.

It is so refreshing to finally have an Australian label alongside Beef and Future Classic to step up to an international level with not just a top marketing and design concept but also a carefully hand picked roster and tangible motivation to rise to the top. You’re advised to keep an ear out for the new kids on the block – Chameleon Recordings is here to stay.